Mitt Romney’s 3-State Win Edges Toward Delegate Clinch

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- It was a sweep for Mitt Romney in the presidential primaries in Indiana, West Virginia and North Carolina Tuesday. With three more victories under his belt, Romney moves closer to reaching the 1,144 delegates he needs to officially clinch the Republican Party’s nomination for president.

The presidential primaries received little to no attention, from the media and from Romney himself on Tuesday. At this point in the cycle, barring an upset from Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the only other GOP candidate who is still in the race, the contests are mostly an accumulation of delegates.

Going into Tuesday, Romney had 856 delegates, by ABC News calculations. The delegate tallies for each state are still being determined, but with a total of 132 delegates at stake, Romney will not reach the 1,144 on Tuesday. The earliest that can happen is by Texas’s primary, which will take place on May 29.

The 132 delegates -- 31 in West Virginia, 46 in Indiana and 55 in North Carolina -- will be doled out on a proportional basis, meaning it is mathematically possible for Paul, or even Santorum or Gingrich -- who are still on the ballot -- to pick up a delegate here or there.